originally published 11/1/1995

In this interview from Volume 17 of the Journal, Mark Slouka explores the worldview of techno-visionaries who aim to create a new era of human evolution. Slouka describes the prevalence among these elite “digerati” of a sense of disgust with embodiment and the physical world. They envision a total virtual “englobing environment” in which humans can live virtual lives free from the messiness and problems of the material world. This vision coincides with a movement indoors for many people in the West over the last few generations: most people spend their lives disconnected from embodied experiences with others and with nature. Slouka finds this movement “eerie” and unsettling. He is the author of War of the Worlds: Cyberspace and the High-Tech Assault on Reality (Abacus, 1997).

11 minutes

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